Means for securing a pendant to a chain, including means for blocking release thereof



March 1964 R. A. BEGHETTO, JR 3,122,900

MEANS FOR SECURING A PENDANT TO A CHAIN, INCLUDING MEANS FOR BLOCKING RELEASE THEREOF Filed Oct. 5, 1962 m r u United States Patent "cc 3,122,900 MEANS FUR SECURING A PENDANT TO A CHAIN, INCLUDING MEANS FOR BLOCK- ING RELEASE THEREOF Raymond A. Beghetto, In, 1008 W. 22nd St, Cheyenne, Wyo. Filed Oct. 5, 1962, Ser. No. 229,523 3 Claims. (Cl. 63-23) This invention relates to ladies jewelry, and more particularly to a device for securing a pendant or other ornament to a chain.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved means for securing a pendant to a chain so that the pendant may not slide back and forth on the chain, the means being easy to assemble and being attractive in appearance.

A further object of the invention is to provide an 1mproved means whereby a pendant may be connected to a chain and prevented from sliding off the chain or separating itself therefrom, said means being inexpens ve to fabricate, being easy to mount, and involving a minimum number of parts. i

A still further object of the invention is to provlde an improved means whereby a pendant may be locked 1n place on a necklace, thus preventing the necklace and pendant from moving substantially about the neck of the wearer.

A still further object of the invention is to provide means for fastening a chain relative to the cap loops or a pendant through which it is engaged in a manner to prevent sliding movement of the chain relative to the cap loops, whereby frictional wear on the cap loops is prevented.

Further objects and advantages of the invention w1ll become apparent from the following description and clauns, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective View of a pendant provided with an improved locking device constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a top view of the cap and locking device employed in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a front elevational view of the cap and locking device of FIGURES 1 and 2.

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational view of the cap and locking device of FIGURES 1 to 3.

FIGURE 5 is a vertical cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 55 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 6 is a front elevational View of the cap and locking device of FIGURE 3, shown in unlocked position.

FIGURE 7 is a side elevational view of the unlocked cap and locking device of FIGURE 6.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to FIGURES l to S, 11 designates a pendant or other similar ornament, which is set in and fastened to a cap 12, and which is suspended on a chain 13.

The pendant cap 12 may be of generally tubular shape and may flare downwardly slightly, as shown, or may have any other suitable shape adapted to receive the top portion of an ornament or pendant and to be fastened in any suitable manner to said top portion, as by a mass of cement 49, as shown in FIGURE 5. The cap 12 is provided with a top wall 14 whose edge conforms to the perimeter of the top of cap 12 except for the rear portion of said cap, where the plate 14 extends rearwardly relative to the cap to define a horizontal flange 39. The top plate 14 is provided with two holes, shown respectively at 15 and 16, the hole 15 being located in the flange 3t and being internally threaded, and the hole 16 being located adjacent the opposite margin of top wall 14, as is clearly shown in FIGURE 5. Thus, the hole 16 opens into the interior of the cap 12 at the intermediate portion of the 3,122,966 Patented Mar. 3, 1964 top wall 14 but closely adjacent to the front wall 31 of the cap. The hole 16 is not threaded.

Designated at 17, 17 are a pair of loops formed from relatively malleable metal tubing and formed symmetrically relative to each other, as shown in FIGURE 6. The loops 17 are secured by soldering, welding, or the like, to the top plate 14 on opposite sides of a transverse vertical plane containing the holes 15 and 16. Thus, the holes 15 and 16 are located in a transverse vertical plane which substantially bisects the cap 12, and the loops 17, 17 are symmetrically secured to the top wall 14 on opposite sides of said transverse vertical plane. As shown in FIGURE 6, the loops 17, 17 normally are inclined upwardly and outwardly relative to the aforesaid transverse vertical plane, and the loops flare upwardly in width. The loops 17, 17 are of sufficient size to slidably accommodate the pendant chain 13.

Disposed in the space between the loops 17, 17 is an inverted U-shaped resilient locking wire 18. The legs of the locking wire 18 are directed downwardly, one leg, shown at 41, being substantially longer than the other leg and passing through the hole 16, which is just large enough to receive said one leg, and the other leg being engageable in the internally threaded hole 15. Said other leg is provided with the external threads 19, and the internally threaded hole 15 is substantially larger than the cross section of the threaded leg portion 19. However, the locking member 18 is relatively resilient and acts as a spring, the threaded portion 19 being resiliently urged outwardly by the spring action of the member 18. Thus, the threaded leg portion 19 is lockingly interengageable with the internal threads of the hole 15, the external threads 19 being meshingly engageable with the internal threads of the hole 15, whereby the cooperating threads tend to lock the member 18 in position and to prevent upward movement of said member 18 relative to the top wall 14. To further insure that the member 18 will not move upwardly relative to top wall 14, the lower portion of the threaded leg element 19 may be bent outwardly slightly, as shown at 32 in FIGURE 5, after the threaded portion 19 has been forced downwardly through the threaded hole 15. As shown in FIGURE 5, this insures that the mem ber 18 will exert a firm grip on a portion of the chain 13 received therein.

The chain 13 passes through the loops 17, 17 and under the intervening locking member 18 and is clamped by said locking member against the bottom portions of loops 17, 17.

FIGURES 6 and 7 illustrate the method used in securing the chain by means of the locking device above described. The loops 17, 17 are connected to the top plate 14, as above mentioned, but are mounted in an initially spreadapart position, as shown in FIGURE 6. The locking wire 18 is engaged through the hole 16 only, and is first arranged in a position such as that shown in FIGURE 7. The chain 13 is then passed through the loops 17, 17 and under the locking member 18. The locking member 18 is then pushed downwardly to its clamping position with its threaded leg portion 19 engaging the threads of the hole 15, and the wire may be then locked by bending the lower portion of threaded leg 19 outwardly, as shown at 32. The loops 17 are then deformed inwardly towards each other by means of a suitable squeezing tool, such as pliers, or the like, whereby to clamp the top portion of the locking member 18, thus completing the securement of the locking device with respect to the chain 13. The chain is thus fixedly secured in the position shown in FIGURE 5 A pendant, with a locking device constructed accord ing to the present invention, may thus be secured to a chain which has been measured and cut to the size required by a particular individual. The pendant is first put on the bare chain with the locking device in the condition illustrated in FIGURES 6 and 7. The chain 3 clasps are then mounted on the ends of the chain. Then the center of the chain is determined, and the pendant is slid on the chain to the center point. The device is then looked in the manner described above, and the chain is ready to be worn. 'Ihe necklace will not slip around the wearers neck, because the pendant will be retained by gravity in a depending centered position, and will thus maintain the chain in a relatively stationary position on the wearers neck.

The loops 17, 17 are not subjected to frictional wear, sincethe chain is locked relative to saidloops and cannot slide therethrough.

The various parts of the locking device may be made of any suitable ductile metal. The U-shaped locking member 18' is preferably tempered to improve its resiliency.

While a specific embodiment of an improved pendant locking structure has been disclosed in ,the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications withinthe spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on-the-invention exceptas defined by the scope ofthe appendedclaims.

What-is claimed is:

' 1. A pendant fasteningdevice comprising a cap member adapted to receive a pendant, said cap member having a top surface, a pair of malleable loop members secured on the top surfaceof said cap member and projecting exteriorly thereof in spaced side-by-side relation, and an inverted U-shaped clamping member disposed between said loop members, the top of the cap member being formed with respective apertures for receiving the legs of said clamping member, one leg of said clampnig member having a free end received in its respective aperture and secured to said cap, the other leg of said clamping member having a free end substantially aligned with its respective aperture, the bight of said clamping member overlying said top surface and forming a space therebetween, said space and the openings of said loops being in alignment,-said clamping'member beingadapted upon deformation toward said top surface to exert gripping force on a necklace chain passing through the loop members, said loop members projecting beyond the bight of said clamping member and being deformable towards each other;to lock'the clamping member in clamping position.

2. A pendant supporting device'comprising a cap member adapted to receive a pendant, said cap member having a top surface, a pair of malleable loop members secured on the top surface'of said cap member andprojecting exteriorly-thereof in spaced side-by-side relation, and

an inverted U-shaped resilient clamping member disposed between said loop members, the top of the cap member being formed with respective apertures for reformation toward said top surface to exert clamping 4 ceiving the legs of said clamping member, one leg of said clamping member having a free end received in its respective aperture and secured to said cap, the other leg of said clamping member having a free end substantially aligned with its respective aperture, the bight of said clamping member overlying said top surface and forming a space therebetween, sm'd space and the openings of said loops being in alignment, one of said apertures having internal threads and the leg of the clamping member engaging therein having external threads lockingly cooperating with said internal threads, said clamping member being adapted upon deformation toward said top surface 7 to exert clamping force on a necklace chain passing through the loop member, said loop members projecting beyond the bight of said clamping member and being deformable towards each other to lock the clamping member in clamping position.

3. A pendant supporting'device comprising a cap member adapted to receive a pendant, said cap member having a top surface, 'a pair-of malleable loop members secured on the top surface of said cap member and project ing exteriorly thereof in spaced side-by-side, upwardly divergent relationship, and an inverted U-shaped resilient clamping member disposed between said loop members,

the top of the cap member having a laterally extending flange, the top of the cap member and said flange being formed with respective apertures for receiving the legs of said clamping member, one leg of said clamping member having a iree end received in its respective aperture and secured to said cap, the other leg of said clamping member having a free end substantially aligned with its respective aperture, the bight of said clamping member overlying said top surface and forming a space therebetween,

forceon a necklace chain passing through the loop members, said loop members projecting beyond the bight of said clamping member and being deformable towards each other to lock the clamping member in clamping position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,670,940 Schraysshuen May 22,1928 1,879,991 Pratt Sept. 27, 1932 3,014,354 McCary 'Dec. 26, 1961 3,080,867 Eichinger Mar. 12, 196

a FOREIGN PATENTS v e 679,938 Germany Aug. 17, 1939 

1. A PENDANT FASTENING DEVICE COMPRISING A CAP MEMBER ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A PENDANT, SAID CAP MEMBER HAVING A TOP SURFACE, A PAIR OF MALLEABLE LOOP MEMBERS SECURED ON THE TOP SURFACE OF SAID CAP MEMBER AND PROJECTING EXTERIORLY THEREOF IN SPACED SIDE-BY-SIDE RELATION, AND AN INVERTED U-SHAPED CLAMPING MEMBER DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID LOOP MEMBERS, THE TOP OF THE CAP MEMBER BEING FORMED WITH RESPECTIVE APERTURES FOR RECEIVING THE LEGS OF SAID CLAMPING MEMBER, ONE LEG OF SAID CLAMPING MEMBER HAVING A FREE END RECEIVED IN ITS RESPECTIVE APERTURE AND SECURED TO SAID CAP, THE OTHER LEG OF SAID CLAMPING 